A look into our future...

Sure our second daughter, fourth child is in China and we are going to go there to bring her home "some-day"......

But there is more.....You'll have to wait to see more.

Off to pick up Dante! YEAH! 

Road trip!

13 ½ hours later we have safely returned home. Dante is safely at camp……5 ½ hours away! He was so sooo excited. He started packing (himself) Thursday of last week!

We supplied the kids with movies and “games” for Stone. They were all really very good for being on a 13 hour road trip.

Dante…..ran ahead of me when he go to his bunk house. When we walked in there was a black counselor!!!! I was so thrilled for Dante. He was the only black boy (Bart says he saw one girl). This normally isn’t a problem, but we always see it. We have to. It is part of who we are and who DANTE is! This counselor was perfect. He had an ipod and was following Dante and kidding him right off! I could tell they hit it off. God is good! I only can pray and hope he will be a positive role model, both as a CHRISTIAN, and as YOUNG BLACK MALE. This already looked good to me!

So we drive off, no tears….except from Stone and Lucy who can’t stay and sleep (see picture of them pretending to do so) in the stinky boys bunkhouse. And 30 minutes later I spot his bathroom bag. Deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothbrush…. After a couple more miles of debating what to do, Bart turned around and we headed back. I placed it in his bag in the bunk house as he was out doing “activities” already. We did see him, but he didn’t see us! No STINKY Dante this next few days, at least on our part! He has to do the rest.
Dante's home for the next few nights! FUN!

On the way home, Lucy started in with the “He’s loves the whole world, YES HE DOES!” song that she learned at VBS. She asks if it is okay first, but that is only because she YELLS it! So she is singing/yelling and Stone is asking her to stop, please. He even says to her that she is hurting her ears. After the negotiations do not work, he says, “MOM, hit his (remember all people are his) leg!” It was funny. Then I catch him “eating” the video controller cords and tell him I’ll hit his leg… He says back…,”You’re too far away!” Since he is in the backseat of the van and I am in the front. I was tempted to show him I can undo my seat belt and get back there, but I opted for the laughter at the CUTE remark. And all this time Lucy is still yelling.

10 more to the cookie jackpot!

This is my insentive to make my weight goal.
BISCOFF cookies in a family pack of 256 cookies in all! YUMMY!
Best in coffee...great by themselves. I once posted a search for these directed at my Dad because they are hard to find in the States. I discovered them in Germany. As I was cleaning out another e-mail site I found this e-mailed to me. They WANT me to buy them!

I made a goal when we started this diet. I am over 1/2 there....10 more pounds and I am ordering these delightful treats. Sure, I might have to start the diet again after all 256 cookies are gone...but that is life.
You have ups and you have downs! Both in weight and in food enjoyment!

Keeping memories alive

A year ago Bart was still making weekend trips back to the States from his job in Germany (Deutchland). We have his coming home one year anniversary coming up. Seems like forever ago!

Has anyone really ever seen any pictures from our extended stay in Germany? NO? Hmmm. That is funny, since I took over 1,000 maybe 2,000 pictures. NO kidding, digital cameras are awesome! Yet I have been fighting with snapfish and the inner financial battle to get these developed.

This picture here is from out favorite town. Funny, I can't remember the name of it.

Pause while I go look it up.....
....two books later, BAD MUNSTEREIFEL.
It was a town completely surrounded by a wall. It had a beautiful courtyard, with a stream that ran through it. There were lots of shops and places to eat. We always enjoyed the ice cream shop. My personal favorite zimt, aka cinnamon. There was also an awesome restaurant the served the best pizzas. We ate there a few times.

I bought most souvenirs from this town because it was so special. Funny though, how these memories slip away when you don't "look back". So, I have just decided my next project is to scrapbook these memories. No biggie, just 1,000s of pictures and countless receipts and other memorabilia. It will be worth it! I don't want to lose these memories!

Such as:
One night I was walking alone back to the car where Bart and the kids went on ahead to. He allowed me a little time to shop at the bookstore for my grandma. I bought her a very neat bookmark. There was a slight mist. I can almost smell the smell. I can certainly picture the way the cobblestone shone. The soft lamp lights reflected off the buildings and water in a magical way. I even can distinctly hear the footsteps of the man that walked past me. I submerged myself in this moment...just so I could feel this way right now.

POP! Oh, don't mind that. It was my bubble that just burst. I am back to the reality of laundry, breakfast, diapers, and blue's clue's on the tv. IT IS A WONDERFUL LIFE!

1/2 a cookie and adoption update

While Dante sleeps (til noon if you let him)....







Stone shares his cookie with Lucy.
Somewhere (not here) he learned he liked to open his cookies and eat them! After I did this he was eager to share the uniced one with Lucy. She doesn't seem to mind, though. Look how happy she is! She loves her brother.


















We are still WAITING and will be for some time on the adoption. This is a picture of the 2 elephants that are pregant at the St. Louis Zoo. One overdue...poor thing. 22 months an elephant is pregnant. It may very well be just how long this adoption will take. I might just feel like this elephant by the end of the whole process! The China side are moving offices in the next few weeks. Rumor has it they will not be working while the move is in process, but our agency assured us they will be working through the move. Referralls should come out while we are in Morris at the end of the month. We'll see then! So, yes we are still waiting, and will be waiting.........














It is the two elephants on each end that are expecting! OUCH look at the one on the right! You can almost see the outline of the baby! Adoption has it's advantages!

Like Grandma...like grand-daughter!

 

Cat and Bird.

Jacque in the Box


















The secret pal exchange for our China adoption this month was meal time accessories. My secret pal was a hit according to the whole family. Lucy already divided the set. Kate gets the bowl and Lucy THINKS she gets the rest. So pal, if you secretly read our blog....A GREAT BIG THANKS!

 

Lucy's 2nd birthday!

Check out the SLOW walk to China and help out with any built up or future miles!


Lucy's first stop at the zoo was to see the elephants. She is showing us that the elephants brush their teeth.







If you've ever been to the St. Louis Zoo you know this ape! NO, not BART! The statue every kid has a picture sitting on...ours included. Lucy of course was scared to sit on it!









The penguins were her favorite again this year! It was 45 degrees in the penguin house! The penguins were swimming and jumping in and just very entertaining! If you ask Lucy what she saw at the zoo she says, "Penguins". If you ask her what else, she says, "more Penguins!"



We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. (Same as last year.) She was truely the Princess for the day. Notice the crown stayed on all day. Many birthday wishes at the zoo and one youth group sang to her by the elephants. She got free ice-cream and a Happy Birthday Hard Rock Style!





Lucy ended her 2nd birthday with cake and ice cream! When asked what do you want for your birthday she said, "cake"....."eat it!". She wanted a yellow, and blue, and white, pink, and green cake! I made just that with her help on the spinkles! A HUGE cake, with mint chocolate chip ice cream to fulfill the green!











And in the end Lucy's 2nd Birthday was a Great day! Oh, and Stone thinks he turned 5 today, and told everyone at the zoo just that too!

Birthday Princess

At 5:00 am the Birthday Princess starts her day. Check in later to see how she spent it!

7 THINGS

I have been double tagged.... Thanks so much Stacy and Angela. I can't believe I was actually tagged in the same 7 as was Mary Mia....She's a celebrity in China adoption world.

It took me a few days to finish this one.

7 things I would like to do before I die
1. Watch Dante grow up
2. Watch Stone grow up
3. Watch Lucy grow up
4. Watch Kate grow up
5. Sit back and relax with my “retired” husband
6. Travel
7. Thank God for my blessings (which I do daily anyway!)

7 things I cannot do
1. whistle
2. a backflip…evey as a kid…couldn’t do it!
3. Speak any foreign language good enough to be understood.
4. BUGS, I just don’t do bugs!
5. Say the alphabet backwards
6. Eat blood sausage (sorry all you uncles in Iowa).
7. Take advantage of ANYONE…it’s just not in me.

7 things I can do
1. My specialty desert…lemon bars
2. Sing almost every children’s song!
3. Read and understand most French and some German
4. Manage my children…(this may be a matter of opinion, but then let’s so you try!)
5. I can still do the splits…both to my left and right
6. Find good bargains on kids clothes at local consignment stores.
7. Fly to Europe (by myself) with 3 children ages 7, 3, and 5 months old (AND I DID IT!)

7 things that attracted me to my husband
1. He is a riot! You never can tell what he’ll do next!
2. He is an outstanding father.
3. He is very intelligent.
4. He works hard and does it right the first time!
5. He is great with money….I spend it!
6. He has a GREAT BIG heart.
7. His sense of adventure, love of travel!

7 things I say most often
1. Stop!
2. Quit it!
3. Knock it off!
4. Great job!
5. GOOD LISTENER (as a threat, encouragement, and praise)
6. huh?
7. Thank you, GOD!


7 books I love
1. Gone with the wind and Scarlet
2. Redemption Series, Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley
3. Harry Potter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and sure to love 7.
4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
5. Les Miserable by Victor Hugo (Even read it in French once!)
6. Chronicles of Narnia
7. THE BIBLE

7 movies I love (I have many more then 7 but for the sake of the game…)
1. Kate and Leopold
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
3. Harry Potter(s)
4. It’s A Wonderful Life
5. Wimbledon
6. The Philadelphia Story (Jimmy Stuart, Kathryn Hepburn)
7. Secret Window…most any Johnny Depp movie!

Pirates all around, yet still haven't seen Johnny!

Stone and his new fancy "free" by me haircut!

This is how he holds his CAT and then shakes her side to side to hear her bell. Anyone familiar with The Grapes of Wrath...with Lenny and his cat?

VBS this week. I really am finding it hard to be "christian like" in the situation I have been dealt! The kids are great, but....no need to complain, it really won't help! Just another test of wills I think. It is Treasures Cove and we have Pirates that are mascots. Yes, God even loves pirates! Lucy likes them and waves real bug and yells "HELLO PIRATES!". Dante is Mr. Cool in the big boy crowd. I can't believe he is that old already. I remember when I was cool like him.

Fridge and Pantry Challenge.

I have been challenged by STACY. To show my fridge and pantry. I am okay with this because anything healthy I mention is mine (and Bart's) any thing unhealthy.....blame goes to the children. So here it is....

The right side, the fridge part. It contains lots and lots of fruit and veggies. We have started eating lots and lots of fruit and veggies! Watermellon, is a no-no on the diet though...I am thinking it can't be that bad...I am eating it now! The Pizza box...hmmmm...... the kids. Oh, the pizza guy laughed when I asked for a healthy pizza for me and my husband. Really laughed! He mad us a thin, low fat mozz, with mushroom! It was yummy.....it is gone! Top shelf, right side does have the evil, YUMMY dips from "at home AMERICA". That is all I ate yesterday! They have to go! I gave the lemon bars and brownies to the neighbors to avoid temptation any further. (3 by 8:30 am, not good!) The bottom drawers are packed with fruit and veggies....mostly squash, zucchini, and cucumber, (all diet friendly) from Bart's dads garden and are fabulous! And of course the staples....apple juice, milk, and diet Coke! The Wine is a staple (but not diet friendly).

Freezer, left side. Lots and lots of frozen chicken tenders and breasts, bought on sale.....diet friendly! And mostly kid stuff....corn dogs, ice cream, french fries, burritos. Ice from the party.

This is one of two food cabinets (I don't have a pantry). And I included the beverages left to drink from the party(more wine, raspberry vodka that is good with lemonade and bad on the diet). Here you find the kid stuff. Cereal, cookies, poptarts, marshmellows, chips, bread, noodles, mashed potates, pancake mix....Bart and I get the crackers I get 12 a day and he gets 16. WOW! See the frosting.....it is not even opened! CAN ANYONE BELIEVE IT! I test myself everyday and have been victorious!

The lazy Susan is our last stop! Here you find TUNA, diet friendly, quick easy and good protein! The Frank's Hot Sauce, for Dante! Lots of soup. Most of it from Germany and very yummy. We like soup. Nutella!!!!! I only wish it were diet friendly. That was my breakfast before the change. Toast and Nutella. Mine looks like THIS because it is from Germany! Bart's mushrooms, and the kids' corn and beans.....

And that concludes the tour of the ONE house food! I hope you have enjoyed yourself.

It reminded me it is time to feed the kids!

Introducing....

Captain Jacqueline Sparrow!

So it is not the same Jack...but a sister! So Jacque it is! All on the Premiere night of Pirates II! She is not striped like the first cat, but more calico in color. She is smaller and shorter haired (which we hope helps Bart!) As soon as Bart got home from work Both Stone and Lucy where asking to go get their cat we dropped off. He left while I had my HomeShow (which went well...more later) and every stop he made they asked, "Is this where my kitty is?"
Funny the human Mom was at my party and was more then happy to take Bart and the kids down to get Jacque. She is adorned with a diamond (ha) bell collar, so now we know where she is. Dante still likes her, but not as much after she did #2 in his room! Lucy is chasing her behind the entertainment center as I type and Stone has only thrown her once! I spent $35 at the store on food, litter stuff, and Febreeze Allergy spray. I also hope this helps Bart! He calls himself a softy. I agree but am pleasantly surprised at the joy Jacque has brought all of us!

Look me up and spend money at MY At Home AMERICA site!

http://www.athome.com/jennvandeven

My party went great! I am excited and happy to have it over and now the real fun begins!

As if it weren't crazy enough....

This is Jack. Well, we don’t know his/her name, but named it Jack none the less. Bart brought Jack in from a late night excursion to Walmart and just had to bring it in to show Lucy. Stone was with him and already calling Jack “my cat”.

Jack spent the night (with Dante) after trying to let it back out and creating one of the worst drama scenes we have been witness to by Stone, which in turn triggered Lucy to join in. SOBS! MYYYYY CAAAAT! SOBS!

So the kids are all playing with Jack now this morning. Lucy follows Jack around. Stone wants to carry Jack everywhere and Dante is the “don’t do that” protector.

Bart has allergies, BAD! Yet, he brought the cat, JACK in. He opened the door the second time and allowed the cat, Jack back in later that evening. And even better, at 5:30 am woke me to ask what to do with the cat, JACK. (Do I even have to explain my thoughts here?) I told him to take the cat, JACK out, so the kids won’t see it when they wake up. He returns with the cat, JACK and wakes me up to say, “It beat me inside” and leaves for work. Despite the sneezing fit he was hit with last night. He better invest in some allergy pills or shots!

We are off, to find the owners, and look for a new cat, I am sure!



This has to be Stone's best picture yet! I about died laughing when I saw this mixed in between the bowling pin picture and the picture of the TV in his room! Oh, and a solid red picture, which I can only guess was a close up of Lucy's shirt!

My Dad's version....

I started something with my memories that led to a really neat message from my DAD.

I always love hearing about the good old days from my parents or grandparents. This struck a cord with me and I knew I had to include it.....

I sure am glad to at least be a child of the late 60's....
when THE WHO, HENDRIX, JANIS, AND THE STONES were cool.
Woodstock and "in-a-gadda-da vida" albums were a must.
When summers were hot and winters were cold and we could skate with shoes on the brick street in front of the house that never melted.
Walking, yes walking to the rod and gun (this is a camp site outside the City limits, about 5 miles from my Dad's house growing up.)and sneaking in.
When fall smelled like burning leaves and football and spring smelled like rain and basesball. When we all had long hair, sideburns, peace symbol necklaces, and tie-dye shirts.
Boones Farm wine and right time malt apple and cherry were the party drinks.
If you remember "right time" you obviously were a drunk or a kid that had no money as that was our case.
Of course that all ended with THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED and disco!
I am proud Steve Dahl had a disco sucks night at Comiskey park and blew up and burned those awful records.
We all wanted to escape and didn't realize what a great time and place we grew up in and like they say there are a million memories and stories but I Let Greg (Dad's buddy growing up from little to High School and still now!) tell them because they get bigger and better every year.
Fuzzy (My Dad's nickname....wonder why....yup!)to my friends!

You were a child in the 80's (Part three)

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record albums. (I made my little brother Sam roller skate in the garage to Grease over and over....I had a yellow flower skirt (kinda like "little house" style) that I wore over a black leotard and twirled and twirled! I was so cool! Sam hated it!)


You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

You couldn't wait to get the free animal poster that came when you ordered books from the Scholastic book club.
Double score if it was a teddy bear dressed in clothing. And the posters always had permanent creases because they came folded!

You learned everything you needed to know about "the facts of life" from Judy Blume books.

You thought Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics.






You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.

You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.
(I didn't just "want" to be one.....I was determined to be one!)




You had a Big Wheel with a brake on the side (if you were Sam you had it 8 years! HA!), and a Sit-n-Spin.



How about drowning yourself in Love's Baby Soft? The first "real" perfume you ever owned!

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

You spent your allowance on Smurfs and stickers for your sticker album!
(Who was your favorite Smurf?)

You were a child in the 80's (Part two)

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze.
(The swing set tipped over at least once!)



You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color. (This one brought back lots of memories! These were my prized belongings!)

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole &the buckle).

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Olson!

You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink.
Your hairstyle was described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty" with the comb you kept in your back pocket.
You had to make sure that no boys would grab the comb out of your back pocket and
skate away at the roller rink! (I spent many a Saturday afternoon's at the roller rink. The best was when they opened the side window/doors to see the bowling alley next door...remember that Morris people? It is now a car dealership in that spot!)

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry,Muffin and Huckleberry Pie. (I was so jealous of Cousin Sally , because she had The Purple Pie Man.)

You carried a lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. (Mine was Strawberry Shortcake, of course.)

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard, was your boyfriend. (Bo, Always, Bo!)







Every now and then "It's a Hard Knock Life" from the movie, "Annie" will
pop into your brain and you can't stop singing it the whole day.




YOU had Star Wars action figures, too! (Cousin Jeremy had us all beat here!)



It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz"
would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You were a child in the 80's (Part one)

IF...
You wore a rainbow shirt that had half-sleeves; the rainbow went up one sleeve, across your chest, and down the other.
You made baby chocolate cakes in your Easy Bake Oven
and washed them down with snow cones from your Snoopy Snow Cone Machine.



You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it. (I had this bike. It was blue!)
You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from the Love Boat was cute! (Admit it!)You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island.



You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie," not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill" because your Mom was sick of braiding your hair. People sometimes thought you were a boy.



Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.
You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers (My knickers were purple corduroy!).






You begged Santa for the electronic game Simon. You could spend hours playing Pong!






I owe the contents of this and the more to come from a fellow adoption online blogger and Aunt Jaime, who both sent me the full version! There is too much to put on one page so I am trying to break it down! Laugh and enjoy some of the good old days!